Criminal Minds is a crime drama that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005. The show follows the adventures of a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) at Quantico, Virginia. It starred former Chicago Hope actors Mandy Patinkin as Jason Gideon, and Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner. Criminal Minds differs from many criminal system procedural dramas by focusing on the criminal rather than the crime itself. The series is produced by The Mark Gordon Company in association with ABC Studios (formerly Touchstone Television) and CBS Paramount Network Television (formerly Paramount Network Television). On July 17, 2007, it was announced that Patinkin had been granted a request to be released from his role on the show. Joe Mantegna has signed on as his replacement. Mantegna joined the cast several episodes later after Patinkin left the show. The series' third season premiered Septem